The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-19
"A GOOD SUMMER LIE.
How South American Scientist Utilities Eeis
for Electric Lighting.


for Electric Lighting.
Philadelphia Evening News.
Don Miguel Santa Mezzito. q wealthy gentle
man living in Achaguas, Venezuela. now stopping
at the Girard House, tells wonderful story. al
leging that he has succeeded in utilizing cleo
tricity generated by electric cells, and that his
residence is lighted by electricity from that
strange fish. Senior MeZZito is a well-eoucated
man. was graduated from Heidelberg University
and speaks several languages, including English,
quite fluently.
Yes" said he 81 have my residence lighted
throughout by electricity generated by large bat
teries of electric eels There is sufficient cleo
tricity wasted in the streams of the northern
portion of South America 10 light city as big
as Philadelphia. could it be properly utilized
The town of Achaguas lies on the bank of a
small river of that name which empties into the
Orinoco. 100 miles to the southeast 1t is IN the
state of Apure, about 80 miles from the eastern
boundary OF the United States of Colombia. The
city is reached by boat up the Orinoco to San
Fernando, and by rail from that place. Acha-
guas is old town, and has been the home of
my family for many generations. / give you
this in detail, because l have met scientists
since I came to this country who evidently dis
believe that have electric lights running by
electric eels.
81 got my first idea of utilizing the evmnotus
electricus while studying electricity in Germany.
Living az had for years near the streams IN
which the eels abounded, and knowing personal
ly of men and animals that had been Frustrated
and were killed by cells in water. was especial
ly interested in Faraday's account of the torpedo
and other fishes. / was particularly impressed
by the great scientists statement that full
grown electric eel contained electricity equal to
fifteen Leyden jars of 3, 500 square inches Upon
returning 20 my home | at once began expert
menting; and was both surprised and delighted
with my success. L found that by holding q
small eel, the head in one hand and the tail in
the other, the shock much stronger
than in any other way, and soon discovered
that the positive and negative cells are divided,
the negative near the pectorals and the positive
near the tail, / also satisfied myself very quick
ly that the electricity from the eel was the same
ascommon electricity 1t rendered the needle
magnetic. decomposed chemical compounds and
by it heat evolved and spark was obtained.
On these points however, the scientists readily
agree with me. / was satisfied that the power
was there if it could be utilized, and after two
years of further experimenting l succeeded IN
getting a battery by which small light was run
nearly an hour. Then it was merely question
of time and study. nave had the lights RUM
ming, eight of tn an, eis candle each, for three
months. My success has brought me to this
country, and propose to explain my invention
and discovery to the members OF the FRANKLIN
Institute before return to Venezuela.
II first tried the placing of a number of the
cells in one large rubber tank we'll insulated, but
l afterward discarded it and tried the forming
of strong battery by the connection of fifty
cells with two more cells in each The result
more than satisfactory
Each cell SO connected to complete a cir
cult through the wires running from either end
of the row to the lamps which all in
circuit. The only secret is the manner in which
the electricity is conducted from the cells. That
peneve 20 De an entlroiy original oiscoNers,
and shall not divulge it until II Is protected by
patents both in Europe and America The eel,
/ learned, makes heavy involuntary dis
charges of electricity when its circu-
lation is increased, when unnat-
uraly excited This I learned by seeing
the Indians. under my orders, driving eels into
nets by the aid of horses and mules With
half dozen horses rushing through the water
the eels throw off such quantities of electricity
that the animals are Frustrated and sometimes
killed. This without actually coming in contact
with the fish. In an hour the cells will have dis
charged their store of electric fluid, and, coming
to the surface. lie quite still They are entirely
helpless Taken in by the nets. the cells are
placed in receiving tanks, and in half an hour